Capitoline Hill, and its Museums in the heart of Rome

Capitoline Hill is on the smallest and most important hill in Rome, for it is the religious and political centre of the city.

Michelangelo made his mark here in the 16th-century, deliberately choosing to build the Piazza del Campidoglio in the modern city instead of the then-ancient Forum, a symbolic gesture of the city's rebirth, its ‘re-naissance'. To get there, take the monumental staircase of Cordonata, at the top of which stand Castor and Pollux, proud sentinels erected on either side of the top steps.

The giant hopscotch pattern on the ground, drawn with geometric paving stones, will take you to the ancient equestrian statue of Marcus Aurelius. Don't insult him by confusing him with Constantine, the first Christian emperor: the confusion lasted for centuries and is no longer tolerated! Go greet the mother wolf and stroll among the masterpieces of the Capitoline Museums, the oldest museum complex in the city. The quantity of marble and antique bronzes, sculptures by Bernini, paintings by Veronese, Titian, Caravaggio, and Cortona will amaze you. You cannot leave these heights without enjoying the breath-taking view of Rome from the Palazzo dei Conservatori.